City of Angels 2018-19

Throughout the entirety of this year, gentrification has been a major topic in most of our discussions. We have read, listened to podcasts, and discussed this topic for a while now and I to   dive deeper to see the root problems of gentrification.   We as a class have also learned about the effects it has on lower class communities.   The podcast, There Goes the Neighborhood,   talks about gentrification in various areas of Los Angeles and interviews the local people from those areas.   During our last urban lab we visited Frogtown where gentrification can be seen as a problem for residents or an "up and coming" area for real estate. While visiting Frogtown I saw how the area had changed since I was little and I am wondering if any of you have ever witnessed the transition of a neighborhood from a "dangerous area" to a place of "prime real estate"?  How does gentrification affect local residents and their lifestyles and if applicable how does...

Throughout our journey in City of Angels we have explored a diverse array of topics such as gentrification, housing, parks, and the founding story of Los Angeles. The various historical articles we have read discuss the idea of ownership and how property influences someone's sense of belonging. With this in mind I took some time to reflect on how Angelenos treat the propertyless. During our visit to the Los Angeles State Historic Park we discussed homelessness and how it impacts the park system and surrounding area. The Los Angeles Times reports that over the past six years, the number of people living in the streets and shelters of the city of L.A. surged 75%- to roughly 55,000 from about 32,000. Even though homelessness impacts 55,000 people in Los Angeles, our sheltering efforts are the second worst in the United States. While visiting the park I learned that rangers enforce closing hours in order to prevent a night time homeless encampment. After our urban lab I am wondering wh...

We've read and discussed pieces of writing illustrating wealthy Angelenos' relationships with the environment: in an excerpt from her book  Echoes in the City of the Angels , Helen Hunt Jackson speaks to the importance of the environment as part of the Angeleno identity, stating that "no one knows Los Angeles who does not climb to these sunny out-lying heights, and roam and linger on them many a day." Jackson's perception of Angelenos' relationship with the environment is isolating and one-dimensional - it speaks to the upper-class experience. How does socioeconomic status impact our relationship with our natural surroundings? More broadly, how does our identity (race, gender, residence, etc) impact our relationship with the L.A. landscape? Other things to consider: the term "environmental racism" refers to marginalized racial minority communities who are subjected to disproportionate exposure of pollutants and/or deprived of ecological benefits (c...

I know we have all been doing various activities and visiting multiple colleges over the past week. However, going back to our topic before the trips week, we discussed how even though Los Angeles is considered one of the more diverse cities, racial groupings and segregations along with gentrified neighborhoods in the area are still very visible. I wonder how the diverse but segregated Los Angeles compares regarding racial groupings to the areas you all visited.   I wonder how these racial groupings, segregations, and gentrified neighborhoods affect the identity of the city. Why is Los Angeles seen as diverse even with these hidden separations in the community? I wonder what makes the city seem like a place of full acceptance in comparison to other cities. What felt different in the city you were in for the past week? *If you did not go anywhere over the trips week, think of a different time you have seen this.